16 greatest inventions you won’t believe were made by Indians

“Vijayi vishwa tiranga pyara, Jhanda uncha rahe humara”.
We live in the greatest country, this world has seen or will ever see. Since ages we Indians have been the guiding light to the humanity. Whether it’s science and technology or moral values, India has always been a pioneer.Here are some of the most interesting Indian inventions that changed the world today

Diamonds : Who doesn’t want to own a diamond? But did you know that Diamonds were first mined in India. Till 1896 only we possessed the technology to mine the Diamonds which were exported to other countries. Indians were well aware of the physical properties of diamond like its durability, ability to cut other hard surfaces, sparkling effect and the refractive property.

Buttons : Ever wondered who invented the Buttons, a major part of our clothing and also used in work of art? Buttons were actually invented in India and many evidences and excavations prove that buttons were used by the people of Indus Valley Civilization. Previously, they were used for ornamentations but were gradually used to fasten clothes.

Fiber : Natural fibers like wool and cotton also originated from India. Evidences show that people of the Indus Valley used cotton and India pioneered the art of cotton spinning and used it in making fabric.
Jute, a plant fiber, has been cultivated in India since ages. Cashmere wool, which is supposed to be the finest wool was first made in Kashmir. The shawls made with this wool have maintained their richness and exclusivity even today.

Surgery and plastic surgery : Sushruta, credited as the Father of Surgery, invented many forms of surgery including Cataract and plastic surgery. These surgeries dated back to 1200 BC and his work was gradually passed on to other parts of the world.

Steel : Steel is arguably the highest used material in the world, and it were we Indian who introduced this miracle material to the world. High-quality steel has been produced in South India since ancient times. Pure wrought iron along with glass and charcoal were put in a container and was heated till the metal melted and absorbed the carbon to produce steel.

Ink : “The pen is mightier than the sword”. Well, not just the sword (steel) even the ink was first invented in India. This black pigment was used in writing manuscripts in ancient India. India ink was made by burning tar, pitch and bones. If we are to believe the greatest epic of all time, Mahabharata, Lord Ganesha penned the entire epic with a piece of his tusk and ink obviously 😛

Zero, Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Decimal, Place value system, Binary Code & Pi : A wise man once said for mathematics – “Those who love it are geek, and those who don’t are meek”. It is we Indians who introduce the world to all the scary topics of mathematics like Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus. Not just limited to this even the number Zero, Pi, decimal and place value system was invented in India.

Chess : Chess was developed out of Chaturanga, an ancient strategy board game played during the Gupta Empire in India around the 6th century AD.

Rulers : Rulers made of ivory were invented by the Indus Valley Civilization during1500 BC. The rulers found during excavation, reveal the amazing accuracy of decimal subdivisions on it.

Shampoo : The word ‘Shampoo’ is derived from chāmpo. It was initially used as a head massage oil for the Nawabs of Bengal during the Mughal Empire around 1762. It evolved into shampoo over the years.

Snakes and Ladder : The game, Snakes & Ladders, was invented in India as a game of morals. Later it spread to England and eventually introduced in the USA by game pioneer Milton Bradley in 1943.

Card game : Remember those poker nights? The popular game of cards also originated from India & was known as Krida-patram (which literally means “painted rags for playing”).

Water on moon : “Chanda mama door ke, puye pakayen bur ke”, well you can’t prepare puye without water 😛 . ISRO’s Chandrayaan-1 made the startling discovery that our moon is not a dry ball of rocks. The discovery of lunar water is attributed to the Chandrayaan mission.

Sugar : Imagine Bollywood without Amitabh, Cricket without Sachin and meal without desserts? Well, India was the first country to develop extraction and purifying techniques of sugar. Many visitors from abroad learnt the refining and cultivation of sugar from us.

Fibre Optics : Ever dreamt of 100MbPs high speed internet? This dream came true because of one of the greatest Indian scientist of modern times. Named, as one of the 7 ‘Unsung Heroes’ by Fortune Magazine, Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany, is widely recognized as the ‘Father of Fiber Optics’ for his pioneering work in Fiber Optics technology.

Bonus Facts

First University ever – Takshila was established in India around 700 BC

First person ever to calculate the time taken by earth to orbit the sun was an Indian, Bhaskaracharya in 5th century

First ever globe was made in India by the name of, Goladipika

First ever Flush toilets was designed during the Indus valley civilization

First ever public demonstration of radio waves for communication was made by by Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose in 1895

The Fibonacci series was also discovered in India by Virahanka, Gopala and Hemachandra

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